Girl · #55 in 2026

Leah

Leah is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin. Its meaning is often deciphered as "delicate" or "weary". The name can be traced back to the Biblical matriarch Leah, one of the two wives of Jacob. This name may derive from Hebrew: לֵאָה, romanized: lē’ah, presumably cognate with Akkadian 𒀖 littu, meaning 'wild cow', from Proto-Semitic *layʾ-at- ~ laʾay-at- 'cow'.

Current Rank
#55
Peak Rank
#24 (2009)
Total Babies
260K
5-Yr Trend
-18%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2009
Peak Year
#24
Peak Rank
260K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Leah

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Leah is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin. Its meaning is often deciphered as "delicate" or "weary". The name can be traced back to the Biblical matriarch Leah, one of the two wives of Jacob. This name may derive from Hebrew: לֵאָה, romanized: lē’ah, presumably cognate with Akkadian 𒀖 littu, meaning 'wild cow', from Proto-Semitic *layʾ-at- ~ laʾay-at- 'cow'.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Leah

Leah first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 54 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2009, when 6,790 Leahs were born — ranking #29 that year. As of 2026, Leah ranks #55 for baby girls with 3,790 births, falling sharply (-18%). In total, more than 260K Leahs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Leah

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Leah Isadora Behn , the second daughter of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Leah

Phonetically similar names — useful when Leah is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Leah

What does the name Leah mean?
Leah is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin. Its meaning is often deciphered as "delicate" or "weary". The name can be traced back to the Biblical matriarch Leah, one of the two wives of Jacob. This name may derive from Hebrew: לֵאָה, romanized: lē’ah, presumably cognate with Akkadian 𒀖 littu, meaning 'wild cow', from Proto-Semitic *layʾ-at- ~ laʾay-at- 'cow'.
How popular is Leah in 2026?
In 2026, Leah ranks #55 among girls' names in the U.S., with 3,790 babies given the name that year.
When was Leah most popular?
Leah reached its peak popularity in 2009, ranking #24 that year with 6,790 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Leah most popular?
Leah has historically been most popular in U.S. Territories, Delaware, New Jersey. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Leah.
Is Leah a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Leah is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Leah?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Leah include Jennie, Pearl, Phyllis. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Jennie
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Pearl
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👧
Phyllis
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👧
Mattie
Peak #25
👧
Katherine
Peak #25
👧
Thelma
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👧
Andrea
Peak #23
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Denise
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About the name Leah

Leah is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 260K births in the dataset. Leah's peak popularity came in 2009 when it ranked #24. Use the chart and map above to compare Leah's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.